Holden's Life example essay topic

Part one: 1. Holden's Hunting cap: His hat is something that makes him stand out from the crowd and society. To Holden, wearing his hat says that he's not going to be like all the rest of the phonies. It's also something that he really likes and he constantly talks about it being different. On page 22 he refers to his hat as a people shooting hat, meaning he shoots people down when he wears it because he feels like he rising above everyone and standing out and living uniquely. The carousel: I think the carousel represents how different both Phoebe and Holden live their lives.

I went over and sat down on this bench, and she went and got on the carousel Then the carousel started, and I watched her go around and around (page 211). Phoebe's on this ride, enjoying life's journey and everything it has to offer, not afraid to take the extra risk. While Holden on the other hand, is sitting back and spectating, cautiously observing everything, fearing that which life has to offer. He's watching this ride Phoebe's on, go around and around, and every time he sees her she's wearing the same thing. This makes him extremely happy knowing that although she's experiencing the different things in life and moving on, she still is going to stay the same. The ducks: The ducks symbolize Holden.

He's at a point where he doesn t know where to go. Like the ducks, his lake has frozen over and his time has come where he can t stay in the same period for the rest of his life, he has to move on, yet he doesn t know where to go or what to do. So he asks various people where the ducks in Manhattan go when the lake freezes over, in search of a response that might subconsciously answer his question in life. 2. World War II shook up people's beliefs in their country and the way that they lived. So after WWII people are scrambling around trying to find their own identity or even make it up.

This setting is significant to Catcher and the Rye because this identity search makes up for the fact that he sees everyone as phonies. In search of their identity they are trying to be people whom they are not. Also, there's all these movements and changes people are putting themselves through, trying to change their living, while Holden is all about staying the same. 3. The Catcher in the Rye is the only thing Holden wants to be when he grows up, if he had the choice.

Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around nobody big. I mean except me. And I m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do. I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if they re running and they don t look where they re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them.

That's all I d do all day. I d just be the catcher in the rye and all (page 173). What's he's doing is trying to save all these little kids from growing up and falling off the cliff into adulthood. He's scared for them and wants them forever to stay a child and enjoy the simple life of romping through the rye fields. Because he's already realized he can t save himself anymore, he wants to help all others. 4.

Phoebe and Allie have both greatly influenced Holden's life because they are the only two people in his life he really loves, everyone else he considers a bunch of phonies. He portrays Allie as a basically flawless human being and even though has passed away, he still lives on in Holden's life. He places Allie on a pedestal, and regularly talks to him out loud. Phoebe is his pride and joy and respects her in every way. He sees them with a perfect life and envies their childhood. His joy comes out of his memories and reminisces with the past when he used to play with them, which he always does.

Everything he encounters, he compares and contrasts it with his two younger siblings. 5. Stradler was Holden's roommate while he was still going to school at Penacy Prep. He was a pretty friendly guy, in a partly phony kind of way. He spends much time fixing himself up to look good because he is madly in love with himself. As Holden was pointing out, on the outside Stradler looks like a neat, clean, and organized guy, but he's secretly a slob.

You should ve seen the razor he shaved himself with. It was always rusty as hell and full of lather and hairs and crap. He never cleaned it or anything. He always looked good when he was finished fixing himself up, but he was a secret slob anyway, if you knew him the way I did. I think the roommates in his dorm had a pretty big impact on the outcome of Holden's life.

The few boys he conversed with in his dorm represented how society was to Holden. For example, he not only knew how people thought of old Stradler, but he also knew who and what he really was and was like. I think this consequently changed Holden's view on things and made it easier to recognize the many phonies. Part two: 1. Holden hates change, he loves for things to stay the same, The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was As a little kid in elemetary school.

He went to this museum every Saturday for fieldtrips, now, a number of years later, everything remained the same. He was glad to know that even though he was growing older and going through unfortunate transformations, his childhood life and memories was stabile. 2. She was extremely depressing to her because Holden finds out that this prostitute he invites to his room is about the same age as he is, still really young and she has this kind of job. Her green dress hanging in the closet also depresses him because he pictures her going into the store and buying it. With everyone not knowing she was prostitute, and the salesman thinking he's just selling this dress to a regular girl.

He doesn t explain why this depresses him, but it just does. 3. Mr. Antolini hands him this quote written on a piece of paper. He tells Holden that he's trying to die nobly for an unworthy cause. This is true too; Holden is looking for something his own environment couldn t supply him with. Or, he thought it couldn t, so he gave up looking or trying, without even really getting started.

The two main opposite conditions in this quote isn t immature and mature, or nobly and humbly, but living and dying. 4. Holden is in this museum, the mummy section, and he's standing around all the tombs. He oddly likes it there and describes it nice and peaceful, then all of a sudden he turns to see scribbles on the wall in red crayon that says, Fuck You. The quote on the exam is like Holden's whole view on life, people spend their lives searching for a place that's nice and peaceful, only to find out there isn t any. Or, it may not even refer to merely a place, but everything.

Part one: 1. I mean except me. What I have to do. Part two: 1. Part one: 1. I mean except me.

What I have to do. Part two: 1. Part one: 1. I mean except me. What I have to do.

Part two: 1. Part one: 1. I mean except me. What I have to do. Part two: 1.